Slapface; Psychological, Fantasy Are Seamless in Horror Short

A boy deals with the loss of his mother by creating a relationship with a dangerous monster.

IMDb.com

Impressions

Slapface is one of many conceptions in Horror grounded with mythical overtones and conveys a stunning form of drama. For these films to succeed the balance has to be sufficient, an amicable marriage between both genres. Doing so allows the audience to partake in both paranormal and psychological contexts. Too much emphasis on one theme will drown out the message.

In Slapface, filmmaker Jeremiah Kipp has a message to convey. Kipp presents his interpretation of death and grief coping mechanisms, he does so with eloquent yet powerful visuals. His narrative delivers with a slight rise in a crescendo. Within ACT I audiences are not clear of what to predict as they observe a young man trek through the forest. Yet, by Act II and Act III, the essence of the subject take precedence. Overall audiences will get an innovative product.

Kipp’s film centralizes the conflict between the main characters a father and his distressed son. Their fractured relationship developed into the highlight of the film. The supernatural element was a supplementary bonus. There was a ghastly feeling watching the physical altercation between these two characters, it seemed dreadful and heartbreaking.

Actor Nick Gregory interprets the role of a father out of his wits. The spotlight does go to child actorJoshua Kaufman. Kaufman does a convincing portrayal of the troubled son.

Although Gregory and Kaufman held good on-screen chemistry, the overall performance was just a visual apéritif. The running time to this production did not work in favor of the performers. Time also weighed against the creature and accompanying design effects. Although subtlety was the intent, the audience deserved better of this character.

In Conclusion

To close, Kipp accomplished an outstanding work transforming his script to screen. The camera work, attention to the set design and polish editing created an elegant work of Horror art. Slapface has a great production value for its short running time. Yet it is the shortness of the film that makes up a dilemma for character development and a backstory.

Ken Artuz is Co-Owner of Meca Ex Studios LLC. Artuz is a New York City Based Photographer with proficiency in Photoshop. His digital artwork was featured in exhibitions SOHO, NYC, twice.
Artuz is a graduate of The Institute of Audio Research where he earned his degree in Audio Engineering and Record Production. He also earned certification in Television Production and Field Recording at Lehman College. For Horror Artuz Favors French Extremism and Indie productions. He is a novelist, and screenwriter listens to EBM, Industrial & Witch house and is an avid MMA sports fan.
Ken Artuz will create a media empire built on the DecayMag Brand.